This invention relates generally to front axle air suspensions, particularly for rear engine vehicles such as recreational vehicles and busses. More particularly the invention relates to unique assemblies for resiliently interconnecting and supporting the chassis of such vehicles on their front axles.
Essentially, such assemblies will be identical on opposite sides of a vehicle and each will include a multi-functional component in the nature of an axle bracket, a pair of air springs mounted in fore-and-aft orientation on the multi-functional component and in load support relationship with a side beam of the chassis and a shock absorber pivotally attached at its lower end to the multi-functional component and pivotally attached at its upper end to the adjacent side beam. At least one of the multi-functional components will have a track rod attachment bracket thereon projecting toward the center of the vehicle and the opposing chassis side beam will have a track rod frame bracket mounted on its inside and projecting towards the center of the vehicle in alignment with the track rod attachment bracket. A track rod will be pivotally connected at its opposite end to and between the track rod attachment bracket and the track rod frame bracket so as to support lateral loads received by these suspensions.
In addition to providing supports for the air springs in the suspension assemblies, a mount for the pivotal attachment of the lower end of a shock absorber and a track rod attachment bracket for pivotal attachment of one end of a track rod, each multi-functional component also functions and serves as a top plate in clamping of the component and spring beam onto the front axle with the trailing end of a forwardly extending spring beam located therebetween. The clamping action is provided by a pair of U-bolts having their bight portions drawn into bearing engagement with the multi-functional component in-board of fore-and-aft extending cantilevered air spring supports.
Except for the multi-functional components used in the assemblies the other parts or components, particularly the air springs, shock absorbers, and track rods are conventional, commercially available parts.